Thousands demonstrate for government

Youths from Ivorian political parties and associations in Abidjan and neighbouring suburbs on Wednesday held a peaceful downtown rally to denounce mutineers and voice their support for the government. Thousands of youths turned up to show solidarity with loyalist troops "defending the nation from terrorist attacks". They expressed their readiness to go to the battle field to fight the mutineers. However, the situation in Cote d'Ivoire, where mutinous soldiers attempted to topple the government on 19 September and seized control of some northern town, remains "increasingly tense", the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a situation report on Wednesday. There were reports of continued fighting between government troops and dissidents around the central town of Bouake and the villages between Bouake and the administrative capital, Yamoussoukro, it said. The insurgents were presently in control of the northern town of Korhogo and Odienne, OCHA added. Over the past two days French troops have reinforced their presence in the country to provide logistical and communications in support to the Ivorian army during its offensive, it noted. OCHA said the protection of civilians in the country and safe access for relief workers to assess humanitarian needs and provide relief aid were the most critical concerns now, particularly in Abidjan as a result of the ongoing security mop up operations and the lack of measures to reduce their impact. The concerns were equally grave with regards to populations trapped in and around the government designated war zone where insurgents were hindering Ivorian nationals from leaving the area by car to seek safety, it said. On Monday, the Ivorien Red Cross with help from International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) made a first delivery of medical supplies to the military hospital of Bouake after authorisation by government. The supplies were taken there in a red Cross ambulance. ICRC said in a press statement that it was negotiating with both parties in the conflict for access to conduct a neutral evaluation of the humanitarian situation in the conflict zones- Bouake and Korhogo- and cater for the most urgent needs. The national Red Cross had set up emergency units in Abidjan, Daloa, Bouake and Korhogo. On Tuesday in Abidjan, the Ivorian red Cross distributed non food items such as soaps, blankets and mattresses to the people who were displaced after their houses were burnt down. Meanwhile, the opposition Rally of the Republicans (RDR) has urged President Laurent Gbagbo's government and the mutineers to end the "sterile and useless bloodshed", news agencies reported. "RDR calls for immediate negotiations in a bid to restore an environment of security conducive to the evolution of our country's democratic process and socio-economic process," RDR said in a statement issued on Tuesday.